Returning Home
by SweetTarts4U
Summary: Emotions of despair and horror flickered across their faces. He remembered, she always hated the dark, being alone too. But she still left him, fore she had finally returned home.


He never imagined that she would be the first to die. She was the youngest under them. He always thought that he would watch her grow up. Becoming smarter, but at the same time staying the idiot she was.

She was looking up at him from her place on the floor, half of her buried under the remains of the ceiling. She was loosing way to much blood and both of them knew it.

"I don't want to die." She whispered, reaching out, in hope that he could help her. "Help me... please, please, help me."  
He knew that there was no hope of being able to move the ruble off of her.

It was hopeless, but he couldn't tell her that. Not when he himself couldn't accept it.

Instead he squatted down next to her and ran a gentle hand through her hair.  
"It'll be alright." He assured her and himself. "I promise."  
The wound was terrifying and he was glad that she couldn't see it. The look of horror on her face was enough, she shouldn't see it, it would only make it worse.

"I'll go call an ambulance." He said, wanting to straighten up, but she stopped him, pulling him back down.  
"No." She whispered, desperately gasping for air, "It's too late. I know it is."  
The feeling of denial rushed through his whole being.  
"It's not too late, so don't even think about giving up." He lectured her.

She smiled up at him, despite the situation.  
"I'm not giving up." She said. "I'm just... Taking a break."  
"No! I'm your boss, remember? You-you can't take a break." He pleaded, his mask slipping, the fear written all over his face. Somewhere, he knew that she wouldn't make it, but the fear overplayed his calculations.

The fear of her leaving him.

"I'll say hi to Gene for you." She whispered, each word she said felt like a hit in the face. "Although it won't be the same because you are the one."  
A tear slipped down her cheek.  
"I love you." She said, her breathing wavering dangerously.

"Mai-" He called, warning her that she should stay. "No, Mai. Please. Please, don't."  
His breathing was heavy and uneven, his mind was a mess and his words were fumbled.  
"Don't." Was all he could say.

She starred at him and smiled, but it didn't really reach her eyes.  
"I don't want to..." She started, "But, I'm so tired Naru...And so unbelievably scared."  
"It's okay. I'll protect you." Naru said, starting to run his fingers through her hair once again, in a calming way. "Just hold on."  
She took in a shaky breath, having trouble breathing evenly. "I can't..." She whispered. "It just hurts so bad..."

"It'll be okay." He assured her, gently, wiping away a few stray tears.  
"I love you." She said once again, reaching for his hand.  
"I know." He answered, squeezing her cold hand, which was oh-so-slowly loosing it's color.  
"That's good." She said, barely feeling the warmth of his hand.

"I love you too." He admitted, making her smile, one last time.  
"Mhm..." She mumbled as her breathing stopped. Her hand stopped squeezing back and he knew that she left.

Naru laid her head in his lap. He waited for her to start breathing again, although he knew it was impossible.  
His tears fell and just this once, he showed how much it hurt, letting the world catch a glimpse of the broken boy he was.

"I love you..." He said with a broken voice as soon as he had run out of tears.

* * *

When the team finally found the two, that had been missing for an hour in the big labyrinth, the look of horror and despair flashed across their faces. Ayako ran up to Mai's cold body, checking for a pulse, like the doctor she was and started crying when she couldn't fell the familiar little thumping.  
Takigawa walked up to her and pulled her away from the dead girl he had viewed as a daughter.

Yasuhara was quiet for once and left the room, needing some time to gather himself, not wanting to accept that his friend was gone.  
Masako was crying silently, well John prayed, tears welling up in his eyes.

Lin was the first to recover and walked up to his charge, laying a hand on his shoulder, in what was supposed to be a supporting way, before leaving the room to call an ambulance.

No words were spoken as the ruble was removed from Mai's small and fragile body. The doctors quickly pulled a white sheet over her, covering her body from the saddened stares and as the ambulance left, the police arrived and asked a few questions.  
As soon as everything was dealt with, Naru started packing together the equipment, without a word.

* * *

Her funeral took place just two days later.  
She looked peaceful as she was laying there with her eyes closed, flowers all around her, from the visitors that came to say good bye to the wonderful girl.

Mai, of all people, didn't deserve to only have lived for such a short time.  
As he placed a red rose into the casket, he wished he could switch places with her. Ignoring all the people that were watching his every move, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

He then looked at her beautiful face one more time before taking a step back.

It started raining as they lowered her into the ground. She always hated it. Being alone in the dark. All in all she didn't like being on her own. She had once admitted that it brought up quite a few sad memories of when her parents died.  
He couldn't watch as they dumped dirt over her, locking her away in the dark, cold and small space under ground.

The next morning he returned and, although he wasn't a big believer of god, prayed for her.  
"I miss you." He whispered before placing yet another rose on her grave.

_**R.I.P**_

_**Mai Taniyama  
(1998-2014)**_

_**Sleep my beautiful angel, fore you had to return home too soon.**_

**_A Lovely Daughter And A Wonderful Friend_**


End file.
